Worn Out? How to Replenish your Soul with this One Life Hack

Worn Out? How to Replenish your Soul with this One Life Hack

 

  Reading Time: 6 min 4 sec

 

Do you ever feel like you are moving so fast that you can’t catch your breath?  That if one more thing is put on your plate you are going to sit in a corner and cry?  You miss your family, deep conversations with your spouse, and a break from ferrying the kids to different activities, and the endless routine tasks? You spend so much energy keeping all the balls in the air that it can feel like you are just running around in circles.

 

I will get a break, you laugh to your friends, when Tommy’s basketball season is over, when I complete this major project for work, when my daughter stops teething, when we take that vacation.  It’s funny how postponing works, rest is so elusive, always in the future, always just out of reach.

 

You read the passage, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matt. 11:28-30 MSG) and you have to laugh, because when have you ever lived freely and lightly? 

 

In a culture that celebrates workaholism, rest can be seen as a weakness.  We celebrate the “super mom” who can make that partnership at her firm while juggling the PTA, homework, children’s activities, homecooked meals, and perfectly clean bathrooms (come to my house, please), when that picture is just as unattainable as an airbrushed supermodel in a magazine.  As a culture, we act shocked (and judgmental) when we discover that “super mom” is a myth.

 

Unlike the world who measures our worth by our accomplishments, and the number of activities we can juggle, God has another way.

 

Imagine God smiling softly on you and saying, “Listen, I love you. My love for you is beyond your comprehension. I love you so much that I don’t want you to implode.  I designed your body to need rest, and the pace you are setting is not sustainable. Come with me… I have a plan already in place.  I will show you a world of deep abiding rest, a place where you can learn what it means to live freely and lightly.”

 

So worn out, burned out, and tired mom, join us as we discover a life hack that could save your health, your relationships, and your faith.

 

 

1. What is Sabbath?       

 

2. The Best Day of the Week

3. Practical Ideas for Your Sabbath

 

  1. What is Sabbath?

The Sabbath is a day where we set aside work, and activity to find abiding rest and delight in God’s presence. The Sabbath has been around from the beginning of time, though it has been observed on different days. And God from the very beginning acted as our model for how we should arrange our day to day lives.  

 

In Genesis 2:2-4 it says, “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

 

God values rest, and He designed us as humans, not robots, who need rest in order to serve and live well.  Eugene Peterson says that, “Sabbath is that uncluttered time and space in which we can distance ourselves from our own activities enough to see what God is doing.”

 

It’s hard to be present with anyone when our mind is traveling a million miles a minute, and we are trying to mentally juggle our schedule, worries, and responsibilities in our head. We learn that if we want to hear God’s voice, deepen our relationship with Him, and find deep soul rest from the demands of this life, we need to set aside time to rest and recharge.

 

Ruth Haley Barton in her book Sacred Rhythms describes the practice of Sabbath this way, “The point of Sabbath Is to honor our need for a sane rhythm of work and rest. It is to honor the body’s need for rest, the spirits need for replenishment, and the souls need to delight itself in God for God’s own sake. It begins with a willingness to acknowledge the limits of our humanness and take steps to live more graciously within the order of things.”

 

Observing the Sabbath is a very counter-cultural activity, a time when the world saying you don’t have time to relax; God is asking you to slow down and learn the rhythms of rest.

 

I would challenge you to set aside time, this week, to rest in God’s presence.  

 

2. The Best Day of the Week

In the Sabbath, God is giving you not only permission but encouragement to play! The Sabbath should be the best day of your week! Seriously, it is a day when you get to set aside your to-do list, your worries, your dreams for the future, and just BE finding rest and delight in God’s presence.

 

You will accomplish more in your week as a rested individual than if you spend seven days a week and all of your energy at work. Wayne Mueller in his book, Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest,says it poignantly, “If we do not allow for a rhythm of rest in our overly busy lives, illness becomes our Sabbath – our pneumonia, our cancer, our heart attack, our accidents create Sabbath for us.”

 

Taking a day of rest to realign your heart, and soul to Jesus is crucial to your (and your FAMILY’S) overall health. You are modeling sustainable practices that your children will take with them for the rest of their lives.  

 

It’s a given that you will need to make some changes your schedule in order to make this happen. Creating a lifestyle, where you take off a day to recharg takes practice and effort. You can ease into it by making small changes each week.  Know that it won’t be perfect, it will definitely be messy, but it will be worth it! 🙂

 

So, what does Sabbath look like in real life?

 It will look different for everyone, but it should be the most anticipated day of the week. Sabbath is centered around worshipping Jesus in community, and time spent with family and friends.  We plan a rotation of our favorite meals and prep them on Saturday.  We have spent our Sundays taking walks, and naps, having quality conversations, playing games, participating in joy-filled hobbies, and time spent just being present with Jesus.

I would encourage you to walk slow, finding joy in being present with your loved ones and with God on this holy day.

3. Practical Ideas for Your Sabbath

 

Here is a list of practical ideas to jumpstart your own rhythm of Sabbath rest. Your day might look completely different from mine and that is okay!   

 

1. Sleep In

2. Participate in Joy-Filled Hobbies

3. Feast Day- We eat our favorite meals and desserts on this day!

4. Worship God in Community

5. Reflection- Reflect over the past week, where did you see God’s presence at work. Reflect over the upcoming week, what worries or concerns do you need to give over to God?

6. Have each family member choose one thing to do on the Sabbath

7. Take a walk– By Yourself or with family- Notice God in the smallest things of creation.

8. Spend time with Family– Put down the cell phone, and be present for your family.

9. Read a good book

10. Enjoy Silence

11. Listen to Music

12. Invite over Friends and Family

13. Participate in Art– by yourself or with your family

14. Reflect over the week as a family– What was the highlight?   Where did you see God at work? What are you looking forward to this upcoming week?   What do you need to give over to God?

15. Take a nap

16. Light a candle- as a reminder that God is with you and in you

17. Play with your family– Board Games etc.

18. Start a specific tradition for the Sabbath

19. Take a break from Social Media

20. Take a break from shopping

21. Give Hugs

22. Speak words of Affirmation-  over family and friends

23. Pray over the upcoming week

24. Spend time in God’s word

 

What about you?  What are your favorite ways implement Sabbath in your own home?  

 

Do you want more super practical tips on how to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus for yourself and your family?  Most Important Work is all about helping moms LIKE YOU with tools, to nurture a lavish love of Jesus in your heart and in the lives of your children; through creativity, curiosity and everyday life. 

Don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

 

Want to Go Deeper?  Here are 2 excellent books I recommend.

 

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The choice to establish your own sacred rhythm is the most important choice you can make with your life.  

Picking up on the monastic tradition of creating a “rule of life” that allows for regular space for the practice of the spiritual disciplines, this book takes you more deeply into understanding seven key disciplines along with practical ideas for weaving them into everyday life. 

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How to Stop the Tears with 50 Out of the Box Math Resources

How to Stop the Tears with 50 Out of the Box Math Resources

Reading Time: 4 min 40 sec

 

I hated math after second grade. Math in K through 2nd-grade was full of fun pictures, simple problems, and little challenges that grabbed my interest.  3rd-grade hit and so did purely text-based learning, and my joy of problem-solving DIED! 

 

If your child is anything like me, math can feel overwhelming, and it can be a struggle to draw connections between solving difficult math problems and how that info will be used in real life. It’s frustrating to teach a child who obviously would rather be doing anything else (even visiting the dentist) than spend time learning math.

 

My overriding goal is for my kids to fall in love with learning. No matter their strengths and weaknesses I want to encourage them to wrestle with all aspects of education. I do that by not sticking to one way (a math textbook) of communicating concepts but by taking a multi-tool approach.  Imagine teaching your child math concepts through playing a game, reading a story, listening to music, beating levels on an app, mastering brain teasers, or by solving a problem in a real life application?

 

There is a self-motivation that arises when kids make direct connections between what I am learning today, and if it can be applied directly to my life. Who doesn’t want to practice logical thinking, if they know it can be used to win at a game or to make purchases with their money?

 

Creating an atmosphere of fun, family relationships and multi-tool approaches allow you, as the parent to foster a love of learning at home.

In this article, we will be talking about:

 

  1. How to Make Math Fun

  2. How to Make Math Practical

  3. How to Make Math a Treat

  4. How to Make Math Unforgettable

  5. How to Make Math an Adventure

Make Math Fun 

 

Forget math drills and grab a board game. As your child practices their math skills, your family builds lifelong memories, and connections are drawn between math and FUN! I have seen a significant improvement in my children’s math skills and abilities to think logically after playing these board games!Here are a couple of math board game suggestions to get you started:

 

Quoridor(pronounced like Corridor) blew me away, with its modern, well made, wooden set. You want to leave this game out as a decorative piece, it’s that impressive. This game is a little on the higher end of the price tag, but WELL WORTH IT (I have already bought it to give away as gifts)! It takes anywhere from ten-twenty minutes to play the game so it is easy to use when you only have a short window of available time.  I have seen a significant improvement in my children’s ability to think logically after playing this game!

          

    1. Quoridor                              Logic
    2. Math Dice Jr.                       Math
    3. Rush Hour                            Logic
    4. Brain Builders                      Logic
    5. Sum Swamp                         Addition
    6. Money Bags                         Money
    7. Sequence                            Logic
    8. Clumsy Thief                       Addition-Money

                           

Make Math Practical

What seems to be the biggest hang-up with Math curriculum is the question, “How does this apply in real life?”  This issue seems to grow throughout upper elementary years and beyond. Here are some amazing alternatives to traditional textbooks. What I appreciate is that children get to see immediately a direct correlation between math concepts and real-life application.

 

9. Life of Fred Series

Is an amazing alternative to a traditional math book. Written in story form, it follows the adventures of a 5-year-old prodigy named Fred who shows children how math applies to real life. At the end of every chapter, there are several math questions that pertain to the lesson for your child to answer. My children love this series and beg for more “Fred, please”!   There is an elementary, middle school, high school series, and college.

 

10. Bedtime Math Series

Bedtime math is a three-part book series aimed at Pre-K- 2nd-grade students. This book is full of funny questions designed to make math fun for kids.  I love that each question only takes about 5 minutes to answer so it’s easy to add to any part of your day. The genius of this series is that it offers three difficulty levels for each problem so the whole family can participate together.  

 

 

11. Logic Lollipop Series

I started Logic Lollipop in 1st grade and Pre-K for my kids, and they fell in love with the books. What makes Logic Lollipop unique is that it is picture based book instead of text-based. This makes this series perfect for pre/beginning readers. I appreciated the program because it helped my children develop their critical thinking skills at young ages. There are three books in the series and are targeted to K-2 grade students.  Love it!

 

12. Logic Safari Series

Is the next series following Logic Lollipop. It is text-based and builds upon the skills in the Logic Lollipop series. I would read aloud the problem aloud and have my children give a verbal response.   There are three books in the series and they are targeted to 2-6 grade students. It is definitely challenging but my children have enjoyed working their way through the problems. These books teach kids to look at life logically and have helped my children understand math in a whole new way.

 

13. Math Skills Workbooks

If you worry that your child isn’t getting enough “real” practice, grab a workbook. These workbooks are affordable and they offer a great overview of the math skills per grade without a lot of unnecessary busy work.  

 

Make Math A Treat

Math Seeds is by far our favorite math app. It is so engaging and fun that my kids beg to play “just one more game”.  Math Seeds has really transformed my children’s math aptitude. Using challenges, games, songs, and tests, it teaches core math skills to kids ages 3-9.

We bought the program for my oldest, but my youngest who was in Pre-K at the time, got a hold of it, and after playing for several months ended up skipping K and most of 1st-grade math due to using this program.

Love it! What’s also great is that you can use it for two weeks for free and find out if it’s a good fit for your family!  Win!

14. Math Seeds

Make Math Unforgettable

You know when a song gets stuck in your head and you just CAN’T GET IT OUT?! We have found these CDs to be a great way to memorize the multiplication tables. They are so much so that our kindergartener couldn’t help memorize them without even realizing it (she will thank me later).  Each cd has a fun beat and perfect for taking advantage of time spent running errands in the car (we all have had those last-minute milk runs).

 

15. Multiplication “rock”

16. Multiplication Songs  

 

Make Math an Adventure

Who knew math could be so fun? What I love about the power of picture books is that kids connect the warm feelings of snuggling on the couch, experiencing the magic of adventure with math!  These are some of our favorite math picture books.  Bon Voyage! 

 

Math Books by Cindy Neuschwander 

17. Sir Cumference series

18. Amanda Bean Amazing Dream   

 

General & Logic Math Books

19. A Math Book You Can Count On – Dan Green                                                                                                                                                                                                                20. The Rabbit Problem – Emily Gravett                                                                                                                                               21. Math-terpieces the Art of Problem Solving – Greg Tang                                                                                                                                                                                                22. The King’ Chessboard  – David Birch

 

Famous People in Math

23. Counting on Katherine                               Helaine Becker

24. The Boy Who Loved Math                           Deborah Erdos

 

Addition

25. The Grapes of Math                                       Greg Tang

26. If you Were a Plus Sign                                  Trisha Speed Shaskan

27. The Doorbell Rang                                         Pat Hutchins

28. Each Orange Has Eight Slices                          Paul Giganti Jr.

29. Mission Addition                                             Loreen Leedy

30. How Much is a Million?                                    David M. Schwartz

31. Beyond a Million-An Amazing Math Journey      David M. Schwartz

32. Infinity and Me                                                Kate Hosford

33. Place Value                                                     David A. Alder

34. Two of Everything                                            Lily Toy Hong

35.Six Dinner Sid                                                   Igna Moore

 

Subtraction

36. Subtraction Action                                            Loreen Leady

37. If You Were a Minus Sign                                   Trisha Speed Shaskan

 

Telling Time

38. The Clock Struck One- A Time Telling Tale         Trudy Harris

39.Bats Around the Clock                                       Kathi Appeit

40. A Second is a Hiccup-A Childs book of Time       Hazel Hutchins

41. Telling Time                                                    Jules Older

 

Measuring and Shapes

42. Measuring Penny                                             Loreen Leedy

43. The Greedy Triangle                                       Marilyn Burns

44. If You Were a Quadrilateral                             Molly Blaisdell

 

Multiplying and Dividing

45. Minnie’s Diner- A Multiplying Menu                   Dayle Ann Dodds

46. Divide and Ride                                               Stuart J. Murphy

47. One Hundred Hungry Ants                                Elinor J. Pinczes

 

Fractions

48. Lions Share                                                      Matthew McElligott

49.Full House: An Invitation to Fractions                Dayle Ann Dodds

50. Apple Fractions                                                Donna Townsend

 

 

 What about you? What are your favorite ways to foster a love of math at home?                      Please feel free to leave me a Comment and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

 

Want to Dive in Deeper? Check out these 2 Bonus Resources:

 

  1. Give Your Child the World Jamie C. Martin
  2. Read A-Loud Family Sarah Mackenzie

How to Unlock the Heart of Your Child with this Simple Activity

How to Unlock the Heart of Your Child with this Simple Activity

 

  Reading Time: 4 min 53 sec

 

We all want to raise Godly Kids, young men, and women who have thriving relationships with Jesus.  As parents we want close relationships with our children. We want to know what is going on in their hearts and minds, because we want to help guide them into becoming Godly adults.  But sometimes the end goal is easier said than done.

 

Have you ever struggled to get beyond a mumbled, “I’m fine” response from your teenager to the question “how are you doing?“  Do your preschool and elementary age children struggle to put words to their emotions?  Do you want to get past surface issues and uncover the heart of your child?  

 

Our lives are busier than ever before. Between school, work, soccer practice, dance recitals, and family commitments, we are stretched thin.  We struggle to make family devotions a priority when there are so many things demanding our attention.  

Our kids are inundated with a secular worldview

they desperately need our spiritual input in their lives.

 

There have been multiple studies stating that parents are the number one influence in a child’s life. YOU are number one as an influence your child’s life: not your children’s pastor, Sunday school teacher, or youth pastor but YOU. You model your family’s priorities and values. So how do you unlock the heart of your child and foster a love relationship with Jesus?

 

We are going to be exploring a reflection & prayer activity that has TRANSFORMED my relationship with my kids, and their relationship with God. The experience teaches children (and adults) how to be aware of God, their actions, emotions, events and, relationships that make up their days. It is amazing because not only is it simple, experiential but you get to engage in a prayer activity as a family. Creating deep relationships while drawing your family into a deeper relationship with Jesus, that’s a HUGE WIN in my book!

 

  1.  The Benefits for You and Your Child 

     

2. Tips for Getting Started 

3. The Reflection Activity 

 

  1. The Benefits to You & Your Child 

We live in a time of overstimulation where we rarely stop at all, let alone reflect back over our actions and the events of our day. We, let alone our children, can find ourselves in places we never intended to be because we never stop to reflect and realign ourselves towards God.

 

Richard Foster says it this way,“In our busy, hectic world, it is easy to run from one thing to the next without much thought of God’s presence and purpose in our daily life. By learning to give attention to God’s grace in our lives, we come to know and love Him more and more.”

 

Teaching our children to reflect over their day, paying close attention to their responses, motives and, feelings is an amazing discipline.  

 

Here are some of the amazing benefits to weaving this activity into the life of your child:

 

Benefits for You:

  1. You get to hear the good, the bad and the ugly parts of your child’s day.                                                                                                                                          
  2. You develop a deeper relationship with your child.
  1. You become aware of ways that you can partner with God in the life of your child.
  1. You get to see God at work in your child’s life.
  1. Your relationship with God deepens as a result of this daily activity.

 

Benefits for Your Child:

 

  1. It teaches your child to slow down, and to be present in the moment.
  1. It shows them how to live with intention. Reflecting on their actions of the day.
  1. It encourages them to acknowledge and name their emotions instead of burying those thoughts and feelings.
  1. It encourages an intimacy with God. They come experience for themselves that no thought, feeling or event is too small for God’s loving presence.
  1. They learn that they do not have to earn God’s love. That we all need God’s grace for every day.
  1. They are encouraged to acknowledge situations as they arise instead of sweeping them under the rug.
  1. They learn to live in awareness of God at work in the small and big moments of their lives.
  1. They experience God’s overwhelming, lavish love for them.
  1. They start seeing patterns of Gods faithfulness in their lives at a young age.

 

 

  1. Tips for Getting Started 

If reflecting over your day is new to you, it can seem overwhelming to lead your child through the activity.  This activity does not have to complicated or super involved.  It can take between 5-10 minutes depending on the age and talkativeness of your child.

 

Practical Tips:

                              

  1. I would suggest doing this activity with your child after dinner or right before bedtime. It is amazing how a conversation with Jesus where they unburden their hearts, acknowledging the good and bad things of the day, thanking Him for how He is at work, and by talking about their concerns for tomorrow, calms them down and prepares their bodies for rest.

 

  1. Be intentional about setting aside time so that you won’t feel rushed, and are able to fully participate in this activity.

 

  1. Let your child know what to expect. Briefly explain the reason behind the activity, the activity itself, and your child’s role.

 

4. Prepare their hearts: Invite God’s presence and then allow a couple of moments of silence before starting the activity.

 

5. Utilize silence. This activity is about your child reflecting over their day and meeting with God. As the facilitator ask a question and then be silent. Allowing your child the chance to think and talk to God.  Your child should be doing a majority of the talking.  

6. Understand that you might practice this activity for a season or for the rest of their lives. You are giving them the gift of another tool for their toolbox. 

7. Optional: Try putting on simple instrumental worship music on in the background.

8. Optional: Light a candle to remind you that God is with you and in you.

 

Reflection Activity                                                                    

 

We want our children to know and love God deeply, and a way we can foster that relationship is engaging in the practical activity of pausing to reflect back over their day.  So, what does it look like to pause and reflect? 

 

1. Invite God into this Moment – Asking him to lead us back over our day, bringing to mind specific situations, helping us to pay close attention to our responses, motives and feelings.

 

2. Thank Him – I would ask “What brought you joy today? (Allow silence and space for your child to share). “Thank God for those special times.”

 

3. Acknowledge – Ask, “What made you feel sad today?” “Is there anything you want to ask God for forgiveness?” “Thank God for the times that you did listen to Him.”

 

4. Look Ahead to Tomorrow – Ask, “Is there anything about tomorrow you want to talk to God about? “Ask God to help you with the good and difficult things for tomorrow.”

Close by praying a blessing over tomorrow.

Allowing your child space to reflect over their day without jumping in with suggestions is necessary for this practice.  Some of the best most special times I have had with my child have been during this bedtime prayer

  •  

What about you? What are your Favorite ways to reflect and pray over your day?  Please feel free to leave me a comment and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

Interested in Going Deeper?

 

  1. Surrender to Love            By David Benner
  2. Death By Suburb -How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing Your soul    By  Dave L. Goetz

 

How to Be Present with Jesus this Christmas

How to Be Present with Jesus this Christmas

 

  Reading Time: 4 min 53 sec

 

Children learn experientially and as parents we need to provide ways for them to not only know about, but also to experience a relationship with Jesus. We are going to be talking about 20 Kid-Friendly ways your family can EXPERIENCE the heart of Jesus this Christmas.

 

We want our children to not only understand, but internalize the reason for the Advent Season, that it’s all about Jesus. His lavish love for his children, His humility as He laid aside His rights to come to earth as a baby, and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

Christmas Day is a culmination of the Advent season where we join together in celebration of the birth of Christ.  So how do we provide ways for our children to experience the birth of Christ? The foundation for experiencing God is all about the relationship, not the activities.

I would encourage you to enter this season with intention to spend time in God’s presence, not by doing, but just being. When you spend time with Jesus, you model your values and priorities instead of just talking about them. Your active relationship with Jesus is more powerful than any activity for your children. 

 

Traditions and symbols help remind us to look up

and notice God at work in and around us.

 

 The advent season can be supplanted by the hurry and flurry of activity but what I want to encourage you to do is to prayerfully create or participate in a couple (not all) of activities that focus turn your focus on Jesus. These activities are not just about making family memories, but its a way to actively engage in the heart of God.  

 

 Here are some practical ways to be present as a family this Christmas with the One who is ever present with us.

  1.  Visit a Living Nativity

Check your local parenting website/group for info on living nativities near you.       

 

2. Eat a Mediterranean Meal

While you are eating talk about what types of foods Mary, Joseph, and Jesus ate (Ideas: Lentil Stew, bread, fruit, olives, grapes, vegetables, beans, fish).

 

 

  1. Light an Advent Candle each  Sunday

Take time each week to gather everyone together to light a candle and pray.  This will become a meaningful tradition as your family experiences setting aside time to focus on the meaning of Advent.

 

  1. Play with the Nativity Set

This is HUGE! Play is the way children engage with the characters and internalize the truth of the nativity.

 

  1. Anticipate Christ’s Birth-Advent Calendar

Grab the directions to my favorite beautiful but simple advent calendar above. 

 

  1. Listen to Handel’s Messiah

  Listen to Handel’s Messiah part one, it is about Isaiah’s prophecies of a coming King and the shepherds hearing about the birth of Christ

 

  1. Read an Advent Picture Book Each Day

Wrap 24 books and place under the tree or in a basket. Have your child unwrap a different Christmas book every day.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones

2. Who is Coming to Our House – Joseph Slate

3. Mortimer’s Christmas Manger- Karma Wilson

4. The Little Drummer Boy –   Ezra Jack Keats

5. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey – Susan Wojciechowski

6. The Crippled Lamb – Max Lucado

 

  1. Craft a Shining Star

Hang the star in each child’s room as a reminder of Jesus’ birth. Grab cardboard, acrylic paint or tape, and glitter. This activity can be as simple or fancy as you desire. This is a very hands-on way for your children to interact with the story.

  1. Watch a movie of Christ’s Birth

Snuggle under some blankets and watch the story of Jesus birth unfold. Here are two of my favorite Christmas movies:

1. The King is Born

2.  Matthew:Visual Bible

 

  1. Learn about Christmas

Buck Denver Asks: Why Do We Call It Christmas? This film is a fun way to learn about the origins of Christmas traditions. I have shown the film to elementary through middle school students and they really enjoyed it.

 

  1. Reenact the Christmas Story

Grab some pillowcases, sheets, and rope and Voila! Let your kids get creative.

 

  1. Read some Christmas Poetry

 Drink some hot chocolate and listen or take turns reading aloud Christmas Poetry.  “The Nativity” G.K. Chesterton or Advent poems by Emily Dickinson

 

  1. Learn & Sing Christmas Hymns & Carols

This is another practical way for children to turn their eyes towards Jesus during the Christmas season. Unless we are intentional about teaching our children will most likely not learn the lyrics to Christmas Hymns and carols unless they learn it at church (which is only a couple times a year). Suggestions: Oh Holy Night, Silent Night, Gloria, Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

14. Memorize Mary’s Song

  

Luke 1:46-55 is such a beautiful and joyful passage to memorize.

Mary’s Song

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior                                                                               

for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.” (NIV Translation)

 

 

  1. Reflect on the Advent Bible Passages

Start with Matthew 1, Luke 1, Isaiah 40:9-11.

 

  1. Create Pictures of the Nativity or Advent Symbols 

You can print off coloring pages (the internet has tons) or create your own masterpieces. (Draw, color, paint, or collage)

 

  1. Be Present with God

Spend some time in silence and reflection just being present with God, away from the chaos. Everything else flows out of time spent in God’s presence. Light a candle as a tangible reminder of Gods presence with us and in us.

 

  1. Collect Gifts for Others in Need

I love this super-practical way of opening my children’s eyes to the needs of those around them. Check out Compassion International, Operation Christmas Child, or Angel Tree for ways to show the love of Jesus to others.

 

  1. Bake Jesus a Birthday Cake

This tradition helps to refocus our attention on Jesus on a day when it could be all about gifts. My children discuss in great detail what kind of cake Jesus might like weeks in advance.  Let your children pick and prepare the cake for Jesus. You can light candles and sing happy birthday on Christmas day.  

 

  1. Hide Mary and Joseph

This is another fun way to interact with Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Move Mary and Joseph peg dolls to a different spot around the house each day. Your child will find great delight finding where Mary and Joseph have ended up each day. After your child finds the dolls, talk about what it must have felt like to be Mary & Joseph.  (You can buy a male/female peg figure for $2 at a local craft store)


What about you? What are your Favorite ways to gifts experience Jesus during Advent? Please feel free to leave me a comment and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

 

Interested in Going Deeper?

 

  1. The Season of the Nativity by Sybil MacBeth
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Short on Time? 40 Ways to Homeschool on the Run

Short on Time? 40 Ways to Homeschool on the Run

Reading Time: 3 min 14 sec

Have you ever felt like you spend way too much time in the car running the kids from activity to activity?  There are seasons throughout the year where no matter how you slice it, time in the car seems to grow exponentially. Doctors’ visits, milk runs, trips to the library, vacations, soccer practice, church, field trips, swim practice, Starbucks runs (just being real), you get the point. There is A LOT of driving.  

 

I am a big proponent of allowing space for great conversations and even silence on road trips. However, there are times when you need to pull a Mary Poppins and grab an activity out of the bag.  What I love about car schooling, is that pretty much any subject can be learned in the car.  Chemistry? Memorize the Periodic Table. Math? Memorize the Multiplication Tables. 

 

 What I love about car schooling is that you have limited distractions, and you get to spend concentrated time fostering your child’s imagination.  You get the opportunity of exposing them to a wide variety of literature, music, history, science; all from the comfort of your own car. In this article, we are going to talk about our top 40 resources for homeschooling on the run.

 

The top resources are broken into four categories: 

 

  1. Individual Games

  2. Music

  3. Art

  4. Audio Books

 

So let’s dive in…

 

Car Games & Activities

 

Here are six individual and group games that are great for family road trips! Ages 4 & Up

 

    1. Geoboard                             Math
    2. Rory’s Story Cubes           Language Arts                 
    3. Math Dice Jr.                        Math
    4. Rush Hour                            Logic
    5. Brain Builders                      Logic
    6. Magna-Tiles                         STEM

                           

* Story Cubes is an amazing game that encourages children to tell a story using the story prompts on the dice.  This is a game, that even the driver can play.  Just have one designated person to roll the dice and call out the results. 

Music

Music is great for those times when you are running errands and the constant stops prevent you from really engaging in an audiobook.

My children have learned SO MUCH from listening to great music into their time in the car. We have not only listened to a variety of styles (classical, jazz, big band, country etc.) but we have also memorized multiplication facts, state capitols, and the periodic table.

The Classical Kids collection is AMAZING! Each cd tells the story of a famous composer set to music. We have listened to these CDs hundreds of times for years.  They have really fostered a love of classical music in my children. LOVE!

I would encourage you to browse your local library’s audio collection (or Spotify) but in the meantime, here are some of our favorite audio CDs. Ages Three & Up

 

7.  Kids Meet Composers                                                  

8.  Classical Kids-Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage         

9.  Classical Kids-Mozart’s Magic Fantasy                         

10.  Classical Kids-Tchaikovsky Discovers America

11. Classical Kids-Beethoven Lives Upstairs                      

12. Classical Kids-Mr. Bach Comes to Call                          

13. Classical Kid’s ChristmasBeethoven’s Wig Series 1                                   

14. Beethoven’s Wig 2, More Sing Along Symphonies 

15. Brain Beats                                                                                                                       16. Brain Beats #2

17. Multiplication Rock

18. Beth Manner’s Fun French for Kids

19. Beth Manner’s Magic French for Kids

Art

 We love these activity/art books! It is amazing to watch your children learn about STEM, Geography, Art, Math, History, and Language Arts on the way to grandmas just from an activity book! Ages 4 & Up 

Optional: You might want to think of finding a lap desk for your child, depending on how much they enjoy doing art in the car.

 

Here are some of my FAVORITE resources:

 

20. Extreme Dot to Dot Around the World   8+                                                                      

21. Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Engineers                     Andrea Beaty

  1. Impressionist Coloring Book                                              Patience Coster
  2. Draw Europe                                                                     Kristin Draeger
  3. Draw the USA                                                                   Kristin Draeger
  4. Draw. Write. Now. Series                                     Marie Hablitzel and Kim Stitzer
  5. Paint By Sticker Kids: Zoo Animals
  6. Etch A Sketch
  7.  Silly Putty

 

 

Audio Books 

Audiobooks are an amazing way to expose your children to great literary content while saving your voice. Woohoo!

Helpful tip: When choosing titles, take your child’s personality and the books recommended ages into consideration.  When you remove the task of deciphering the words, children can comprehend more advanced forms of writing.   

Ages 4 & Up

 

29. Amelia Bedelia Series                                   Peggy Parish                                                   30. Madeline Series                                        Ludwig Bemelmans                                                31. The Paddington Bear Series                        Michael Bond

32. Mercy Watson Series                                  Kate DiCamillo                                                      33. The Wind in the Willows                          Kenneth Grahame

34. Betsy and Tacy                                         Maud Hart Lovelace

35. Henry Huggins Series                                   Beverly Cleary

36. The Melendy Series                                  Elizabeth Enright

37. The Boxcar Children series                   Gertrude Chandler Warner

38.  Pollyanna                                               Eleanor H. Porter

39. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM             Robert C. O’Brien

40. Little Men                                              Louisa May Alcott

What about you? What are your favorite ways to take advantage of travel time? Please feel free to leave me a Comment and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

 Want to dive in deeper? Check out these 2 Bonus Resources:

 

  1. Give Your Child the World Jamie C. Martin
  2. Read A-Loud Family Sarah Mackenzie

 

 

 

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